YONEX All England 2023: Ellis relishing return to action

The YONEX All England Open was the light at the end of Marcus Ellis' tunnel following an injury that left him questioning his future in the sport. After winning mixed doubles Commonwealth silver alongside Lauren Smith in Birmingham last summer, the 33-year-old underwent hip surgery to deal with ongoing pain. Ad There was no timeframe in terms of recovery and no assurances that he would be able to resume his professional career, providing the Olympic bronze medallist with the biggest challenge of his career.

BadmintonYONEX All England 2023: Lauren Smith ready to battle on multiple frontsAN HOUR AGO «I couldn't have carried on like I was,» he said. «I was in pain every day, not just in badminton but in everyday life — I had to have it done. »There were no guarantees I would return to the same level that I was before.

I was trying desperately to find other athletes that have had the same things done and have come back to the level they were previously, but I was struggling to find anyone. «I could have had to retire in all honestly. It was one of those injuries where I could have had the surgery and a few months later nothing could have changed in terms of my discomfort, and I think I would have probably had to stop playing — which would have been absolutely devastating.

»Being able to go through that quite negative part of my career and come through the other side, and my first proper tournament back being the All England, it's quite a big rollercoaster. «It's certainly something I don't take for granted and having the All England as a goal for my return was really motivating. On the days where I was finding things difficult, I found it quite uplifting knowing that was at the end once I recovered.» The YONEX All England